Shooting suspect named

Mary A. Castillo

The Laguna Beach Police Department released the name of the

suspect in the shooting last week of an officer and a sales clerk.

Nathaniel James O’Connor, 26, of Los Angeles, reportedly walked

into the Herb Import Company last Wednesday, handcuffed Jacques

Nenijian and shot him in the upper back. According to police,

O’Connor forced the female clerk to the back of the store allowing

Nenijian to escape to the real estate office next door.

Officer Lawrence Bammer was one of the first to arrive on the

scene and was allegedly shot by O’Connor as he walked out of the real

estate office from where the 911 call came.

After a brief exchange of fire with police, O’Connor was fatally

wounded and pronounced dead after the Mission Regional Hospital

trauma team tried to save his life.

Nenijian, who is still hospitalized at Mission Hospital, is

expected to make a full recovery. Bammer is resting at home.

A former smog technician and construction worker, O’Connor had

reportedly been spotted in town by another local business owner

earlier that day. The owner told police that he had seen him acting

suspiciously in front of the business.

“It caused him to pay attention when [O’Connor] left,” Sgt. Jason

Kravetz said. The business owner watched him walk to the beach. But

an hour later, O’Connor parked a stolen Ford Explorer at Oak Street

and Gaviota Drive, from where he walked to the Herb Import store.

Upon searching his black duffel bag, police said they found two

handguns. They are investigating how O’Connor obtained them. He stole

about $700 in cash and had taken glass water pipes and digital

scales, Kravetz said. Police are still waiting for the results of the

toxicology test to determine if he had been under the influence.

O’Connor had been sentenced to three years’ probation for

possession of marijuana on Oct. 15 in Torrance. He would have

celebrated his birthday tomorrow.

* MARY A. CASTILLO is a news assistant for the Coastline Pilot.

She covers education, public safety and City Hall. She can be reached

at mary.castillo@latimes.com.